The
ideal
situation
for
an SBS
installation
is bringing
a new
server
into
a non-networked
environment,
or at
least
an environment
without
an existing
server.
Although
comparatively
few
SBS
installations
match
this
scenario,
it's
not
as uncommon
as you
might
think.
Plus,
there
are
other
situations
where
a fresh
installation
of SBS,
as opposed
to an
upgrade
or migration,
might
be the
best
scenario.
Regardless
of the
actual
installation
approach
you
may
choose,
many
aspects
of the
customer's
network
environment
must
be considered
when
bringing
SBS
into
the
mix.
This
chapter
focuses
on gathering
the
information
necessary
to successfully
bring
the
SBS
product
into
any
environment.
Based
on the
information
covered
in this
chapter,
a small
business
consultant
or internal
IT support
professional
should
be able
to build
a proposal
to outline
how
the
network
and
server
will
be configured.

Knowing
the
Client
Base

The biggest mistake many new consultants and IT professionals can make is
proposing a solution that does not meet the needs of the client. I have seen far
too many instances where a technologist implemented a solution that she was
comfortable with that just didn’t match the business environment. Chapter
2, "Making the Business Case for SBS," discussed the business aspects of
determining whether SBS was a fit for a particular instance. Operating on the
assumption that the SBS technology makes business sense, let’s now take a
look at the technical side of the puzzle.

Before acquiring equipment and starting the installation, you need to collect
some technical information related to the existing and desired infrastructure.
The more information you can collect up front, the smoother the installation and
configuration process will be down the road. The following are some basic
questions you will likely need answered. A more detailed examination of other
aspects of the installation follows. Questions that should be asked before
attempting an SBS installation include

How many users are in the organization?

How many devices are in the organization?

What is the geographic layout of the organization (one site, multiple
sites, and so on)?